1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a heuristic computer method for configuring collections of input and output devices for multi-user computer systems, particularly when all input and output devices are connected directly to the server computer.
2. Prior Art
In order to provide a computer interface to a human operator, a collection of input and output devices are required. This collection will typically include a video display, a mouse and a keyboard. Optionally, this collection will also include additional devices, such as speakers, microphones, floppy disk drives, CD-ROM drives and additional keyboard devices. For a single user computer, all devices are included in a single collection. For a multi-user system, there will be more than one collection, one for each user. Some method must be used to determine the configuration of these multiple collections.
In a traditional multi-user system, the collections of input and output devices are combined at time of manufacture in a device known as a terminal. This device is separate and distinct from the multi-user server. The multi-user server communicates via a network or serial connection to the terminal. The terminal contains a single collection of user interface devices and is responsible for managing them.
As an alternative architecture for a multi-user system, all input and output devices are connected directly to the multi-user server. Since there are no intervening terminals to manage the input/output devices, server software must be responsible for organizing the input and output devices into multiple collections.
These input/output devices are connected to the computer using internal data-transfer mechanism known as a bus. The most common hardware configuration is for the display devices to be present on the Peripheral Common Interchange (PCI) or Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) bus while all other input/output peripherals are on the Universal Serial Bus (USB). There may be one or more audio devices on the PCI bus. There also may be a PS/2 keyboard and a PS/2 mouse, which can be connected to the computer using a variety of system architectures, or a mouse connected to the computer via the serial port. Any method for configuring collections of input/output devices must include all of these devices.
Currently the method for configuring the collection is a user interface that requires a multi-step process. The first requires a user to define a collection of input/output devices. The second step is for the user to identify the devices that will be placed in the collection. Each device is identified and assigned individually. This procedure is then repeated until all collections have been configured.
3. Objects and Advantages
It is a principal object and advantage of the present invention to provide a multi-user system configuration method that may be accomplished with less manual instruction relative to the prior art.
It is another object and advantage of the present invention to provide a multi-user configuration method that may be implemented by individuals without any specialized computer training.
It is a further objects and advantage of the present invention to provide a multi-user configuration method that reduces the possibility of user error.
It is still a further object and advantage of the present invention to provide a multi-user configuration method that permits the addition of optional and non-standard input/output devices to a collection without additional user actions.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will in part be obvious, and in part appear hereinafter.